Sunday 28 February 2010

Getting To Know You Sundays!

It is here again Getting to know you Sundays over at Mannland5!!



1. Would you rather bungee jump or sky dive?

I really wouldn't want to do either as I am scared of heights but if I had to choose it would be skydive

2. When using a public restroom to you squat over the seat or sit?

I sit, am not athletic enough to squat!

3. Favorite flower?

Frescias for their scent.

4. Pedicure or manicure?

I have never had either one but would probably be manicure.

5. How many siblings do you have?

I have two half sisters and four half brothers (from my dad's previous marriage), I am the youngest!

6. Do you pee in the shower? (gasp!)

I have, on occasion!!!

7. Bikini, tankini, or one piece?

Anything that covers my body as much as possible!

8. Where do you hate to shop at, but go there anyway?

I do not like shopping at all and try to avoid most shops at all costs.

Saturday 27 February 2010

Nothing doing!

We are at home again with only the boys for company. Lydia is at a friends for a birthday sleepover and Ellie decided she would prefer to stay at her Nanna's house and not with us. One of the reasons being my mum waits on her hand and foot and brings her breakfast in bed, a luxury she is not used to at home.

So the house seems very quiet again, I remember when having two children seemed hard work but now it is like a holiday. The boys get on well even though there are five years between them. I was so worried when Max was born that he wouldn't have anybody to play with and that he would be left on his own all the time. They do bicker occasionally but most of the time they play together and look out for one another and the girls treat Max as if he were theirs.

In saying that I had really hoped that I would have had another child by now. I really wanted Max to have a brother or sister that WAS close in age to him, unfortunately that has not been the case and now every month that passes I think of the ever widening age gap.

I do have to count my blessings though, when we married Mark was unsure whether he wanted children at all. He wouldn't change it for the world now and you never know, hopefully if there is a number five, he might like the idea of a number six!

Friday 26 February 2010

Friday Photo Flashback!

Update: I meant to post that it was 1974!

Unfortunately when I was born we did not have a camera. My dad bought a second hand one when I was about 9 months old and here are a couple of my first photographs. They are taken at the river bank in Lincoln, my mum used to meet my dad for dinner there once a week and he must have decided to take his camera with him that day!







For more fabulous Friday Photo Flashbacks visit Alicia at More Than Words.

Wednesday 24 February 2010

Sunnier times

As I am so fed up of the long, cold winter, I thought that I would post some photographs of last summer when we put up our summer house. We put the base down and built the summerhouse ourselves but needed help to get the very heavy roof on. My Auntie and Uncle helped us and we wouldn't have been able to do it without them. I cannot wait for a bit of warmth and sunshine so we can enjoy it again.









So much for my sunny day post - the only photograph I have of it finished is on a snowy one!!!



For more Wordful Wednesdays visit here!

Tuesday 23 February 2010

It makes you think.

When Ellie was almost two and a half she was poorly, just a normal run of the mill, kid-like illness, runny nose, temperature etc. She had been ill for a few days, when for 24 hours she didn't pass any urine. We took her to the emergency doctors (as it was late at night on Easter weekend) and he told us not to worry and that as she had a temperature she would be less likely to urinate and she was ok. I asked him how long should we leave her like this, he shrugged his shoulders and told us that it didn't matter.

I was extremely unhappy with this advice and rang NHS Direct (a freephone help and information line manned by nurses) about the information I had been given. They agreed with me and told me that I could not leave her for an indefinite period without having gone to the toilet and that I had to make another appointment at the emergency doctors, so I scheduled this for the next morning.

However, during the night her stomach started to swell, it seemed only a bit at first but it kept gradually getting worse. We decided that we were not going to wait for the appointment and took her to the Casualty Department instead. They admitted her and said that they were going to have to run some tests. They told us that the cause of her stomach swelling could be due to a blockage in her intestine/bowel. I remember feeling helpless and sick with worry at what they might find when they gave her an x-ray, certain that it would reveal something nasty. We were very fortunate, nothing at all showed up on the x-ray. It still was a very unpleasant experience for her, they had to insert a tube into her bowels to get rid of the gas build up that was there, which must have been a horrific experience for a two year old. I especially feel bad about this because even though her dad was with her when she had this done, I was not, I had left to go home and breastfeed Lydia, as she was only 10 weeks old. After she had been in the hospital for about 24 hours she had still not passed any urine so they had to try and catheterise her, it took four of us to hold her down whilst she was screaming at them to stop and begging us to make them. It is one of the most horrible things I have ever had to do and it still brings tears to my eyes 10 years later.


Ellie after she had been discharged from the hospital




To cut a long story a bit shorter, she was discharged after a couple of days but still suffered from the same stomach swelling and other related problems for years. She had numerous blood tests for allergies and disorders and gave samples but everything came back negative. The Paediatrician who we saw said he could give her an exploratory operation to see if they could find anything but he didn't really want to, especially as her problem never got quite as bad as when she had been first admitted. No reason has ever been found for why this happens and she still does suffer from the problem but only very, very occasionally.

What made me write this post was a mention of a little girl called Layla Grace who MckMama mentioned on her blog today. Her story is heartbreaking and I thank God that Ellie's x-ray did not contain anything sinister and that we are blessed to have four such beautiful and wonderful children. I hugged them all a little tighter tonight after reading this.

Monday 22 February 2010

I am a day late.

As it is Monday and in my current belated blogging state, this is - Getting to know you Sunday over at MannLand5



1. How often do you wash/change your sheets?

Probably not as often as I should and that is all I am saying :S

2. When is your birthday?

16 December 1973.

3. Have you ever met a bloggy friend in real life?

Afraid not I live in the UK and all bloggy friends live in the USA!

4. Brad Pitt or George Clooney?

Always, always Brad Pitt.

5. If you could change one thing about your body what would it be?

I'm afraid it would have to be my body

6. How often do you wash your hair?

Every couple of days.

7. Do you have pets?

Yes, we have a dog (schnoodle) called Cooper and two rabbits, Jemima and Bobby

8. How many social networks do you belong to..if you had to give up one, what would it be?

I only belong to Facebook so it would have to be that.

Sunday 21 February 2010

Happy 3rd Birthday Max

For the second day running it is actually Happy Belated Birthday. So here goes...


INTERESTING MAX FACTS!!!

Max was born on 16 February 2007 at 07.11, weighing 8lbs 1ozs and his was the most unpleasant and eventful birth.



We thought that Lydia cried a lot, boy were we wrong, Max has cried the most (and still does) and slept the least out of all our children, he has not been an easy baby/child.





However, he fed the best. He would only feed for 5 minutes at a time about every three hours and I think his longest feed was 8 minutes. I was so worried that he wasn't feeding for long enough I timed every feed for about the first three months. In saying that he put on at least 10ozs every week!!!



He is the biggest (at that age) of all our children.

He smiled at 10 days, crawled at 10 months and walked at 14 1/2 months.









He is very stubborn, independent and mischievous.







He has only slept through the night about 7 times.





He has some strange behavioural tendencies and does not like change.

He has a funny sense of humour and makes us laugh every day.







His favourite person in the world is Fireman Sam.



Happy Birthday Max, we love you too xxx

Saturday 20 February 2010

Happy 10th Birthday Lydia

Well not exactly, but it will have to be belated seeing as how we were on holiday and I haven't been able to do it up until now.


INTERESTING LYDIA FACTS!!!

She was born on 9 February 2000 at 11:49, was my biggest baby at 8lb 2ozs and the easiest birth.

For a week she was an angel



and then - AAAAARRRGH - the more she woke the more she cried. Even though she slept very well, almost every one of her waking moments was a crying one (for a very long time)!!!

(supposed to be a picture here but I cannot get it working)



Smiled at four weeks, crawled at 11 months and was the latest walker at 15 months.

(and again)!!!

She has the most beautiful blue eyes...

...and is the only one of my children with freckles.



She scars easily and still has a scar down her cheek from when Ben scratched her face three years ago.



She is very caring and doesn't like to see people upset or in trouble.



Loves animals and teddy bears.





Is very helpful and bright but also very challenging.









Happy Birthday Lydia, we love you xxx

Friday 19 February 2010

I just wanted to say...



-----------------------------------------------------------





and one last time...



for following me and posting such lovely comments on my blog.

I hope that you have a nice time whilst you are visiting xxx

Friday Photo Flashback!

iPhone Girl is back!!!

Okay, okay, so this is NOT exactly a photo flashback from a long time ago, but IS a flashback of sorts!

About 18 months ago my husband purchased an iPhone for his job and when he activated it, this (along with a few others) is what he found. Obviously being uninterested in all things technological, I didn't think anything of it!




He posted it on a Mac website that he uses asking if anyone else had found photos on their phones and the response was unbelievable. It seemed to cause some sort of furore in the mac/apple world. People wanted to know who she was, where she lived and some people questioned her age (that she seemed to young to be working) and we were seriously worried that something we had done innocently (posting the photos) would result in her losing her job at the factory. What was funny was that some articles thought that it was huge marketing stunt and somehow we were in collusion with Apple!!! Mark was even interviewed by a couple of newspapers about his 'find' and if you type iPhone girl in google there are now hundreds of articles on it!!! She actually was found but her name has never publicly been disclosed, well not as far as I know.

So for me it is a flashback as I thought the iPhone girl 'thing' had been long forgotten but apparently not. Mark has been contacted as an American newspaper are doing an article and would like to use the photos but he owns the copyright.

I also wondered if anyone out there in the blogging world had ever heard of iPhone girl?

For more Friday Photo Flashbacks visit More Than Words.

Thursday 18 February 2010

Somerset

We stayed in a lovely old converted barn on a farm in Somerset, near a town called Frome (pronounced Frume). It was lovely and spacious and just felt really homely, in fact, I think Mark would've quite happily packed up and moved in.





Unfortunately due to my husbands tooth issues, so losing two days at the barn, Lydia's birthday and the cold weather we did not do very much at all. Plus most of the attractions in the area were shut for winter and didn't open until half term which is this week. Luckily this was the view out of the living room windows.





And I almost managed to catch the beautiful sunset as we were driving back to the barn one day.



However, we did travel through this place - Norton St Philip - The Inn was built in the 13th century and was absolutely amazing, it was like travelling back in time.







The Church



The Street





I really hope to be able to visit there again someday.